Quantitative and qualitative analysis of cadaveric human pinealocytes in various age groups.

Objective: To determine age-related quantitative and qualitative changes in human pinealocytes using cadaveric material. Study Design: Analytical cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy, University of Health Sciences, Lahore, from January to December 2008. Methodology: Thirty pineal glands from human cadavers ranging from 16-80 years of age were collected from mortuary of King Edward Medical University, Lahore, using purposive non-probability sampling. These were divided into three different age groups: I, II and III each between 16 to 30, 31 to 45 and 46 to 80 years of age respectively. Pinealocytes were counted; their mean diameter and that of their nuclei was calculated from a total of 30 cells per slide, using 4 mu m thick H and E stained histological sections. Mean +/- S.E.M. was calculated for quantitative variables. One-way ANOVA was applied to observe group mean differences among three groups. Results: The number of pinealocytes decreased with aging but the difference was statistically insignificant when compared between groups (p=0.234). There was no change in size of pinealocyte soma and its nucleus (p=0.889 and 0.898 respectively). Conclusion: The number and size of pinealocytes, and their nuclei remained unaltered with advancing age.